When Is the Best Time of Day to Work Out

For many of us, busy schedules make deciding when to exercise a simple process.

A poll of 100 people was taken on www.firefightersworkout.com; twenty-eight percent of us exercise any time we can, a dead heat with those who prefer an evening workout.

The most popular time to exercise?

The morning, getting 44 votes out of 100 viewers polled. The least favorite time to give the body a tune-up was during the afternoon. Those pesky busy schedules prohibit most of us the luxury of squeezing in mid-afternoon sessions at the gym.

But according to the latest research, are we doing the right thing by exercising in the early part of the day?

Possibly not.

A test conducted in June of 2001, at the University of Chicago found that certain levels of two important hormones responsible for energy metabolism, and fat burning (Thyrotropin and Cortisol) rose the most during evening exercises.

So, should you rearrange your life around exercise just to ensure an evening workout?

Researchers are apt to answer a very adimant No! as these test results are far from conclusive. Ultimately, finding the time to exercise, no matter what the time of day, is most important.

Michael Stefano is a 20-year veteran of FDNY, as well as author of The Firefighter's Workout Book and creator of The Firefighter's Workout Video.

His workout routines and articles have been featured on such internet giants as America Online, Yahoo! and eDiets.com.

Currently Michael is editor in chief at http://www.firefightersworkout.com, where you can get more information about his book and other services, as well as sign up for his FREE Train For Life Newsletter.